Korean Vice-President of Samsung Learns Talmud
at Shalavim Yeshiva

by Aryeh Savir, Tazpit News Agency

Charlie Park, Vice President of Samsung Korea, visited an Israeli Yeshiva
at Shalavim last week, accompanied by a South Korean camera crew, and
met with the program directors and with students to document how students
study Gemara at the Yeshiva.

The South Koreans have developed a fascination with the study of Talmud.
The country's ambassador to Israel, Ma Young-Sam, has told the "Culture
Today" Israel TV show that Talmud study is now a mandatory part of
the country's school curriculum.

In addition, it is said, almost every home in South Korea boasts a Korean
version of the Talmud, and mothers commonly teach it to their children,
who call it the "Light of Knowledge."

Young-Sam explained, "We were very curious about the high academic
achievements of the Jews, who have a high percentage of Nobel laureates
in all fields - literature, science and economics.

"This is a remarkable achievement. We tried to understand: What
is the secret of the Jewish people? How are they, more than other people,
able to reach those impressive accomplishments? Why are Jews so intelligent?

"The conclusion we arrived at is that one of your secrets is that
you study the Talmud We believe that if we teach our children Talmud,
they will also become geniuses. This is what stands behind the rationale
of introducing Talmud study to our school curriculum. I, for example,
have two sets of the Talmud."

While touring the bais medrash, the study hall, he said he now felt he
understood "the growing grounds" of the Jewish genius.

Park was at the yeshiva to get a first-hand account of this wonder, but
his trip also involved business. He was in Israel to review possible acquisitions
of Israeli startup companies.